Submarine mine



G. E. ELIA.

SUBMARINE MINE.

APPLICATION FILED nEc.9..191u.

Patented July 13, 1920;

2 SHEElS-SHEEI' l.

lG. E. ELIA.

SUBMARINE MINE.

APPLICATION FILED ums, 191s.

1:1... las

2 SHEElS-SHEEI 2..

Patented July 13, 1929.

AUNITED STATES PM--ENI 1 OFFICE.

GIOVANNI EMANUELE ELIA, OE ROME, ITALY, AssIeNOR To vIoKEEs LIMITED l or WEs'rMINsrER, LONDON, ENGLAND. 7

SUBMARINE MINE.

December 9, 1918.

To all @L1/omit may concern Be it known that I, GIOVANNI EMANUELE ELIA, a subject of the King 'of Italy, residing at Rome, Italy, have invented certain Vnew and useful Improvements in SubmarineV chamber from the anchor after the mine h'asf been launched. This application is a division of an application filed by me on September 6, 1917 for patent on submarine mines, Serial No. 196,095 upon which Patent Number 1,299,440 was issued Apr. S, 1919.v Y

In the specification of my prior pending patent application No. 17 8,367 filed July 3,

1917 upon which Patent Number 1,296,376 Was issued Mar. 1, 1919, Ihave described a construction of submarine mine in which a hydrostatic device is employed to release a f slidable Weight located at any desired point on the mooring cable so that the Weight will fall and-actuate a suitable device for stopping the univinding or paying out of the cable from the anchor when the iiotationV chamber, owing to its buoyancy, has ascended Vfar enough to occupy the required Vinal depth of immersion.

.Y According to this invention there ispemployed a buoy or float, Vin lieu of a hydrostatic device, which is connected to theY Weight by means ofI a cord or cable and is adapted to control the release of .the Weight,V

at the proper moment so that the Weight descends and actuates the device for stopping .the unwinding or vpaying out of the mooring cable'from the anchor. The Vlength of the cord or cable connected tothe .Weight is se.- Y y lected according to the Afinal vdepth of immersion desired for the iiotation chamber, andy Vthe'upward pull of the buoy or float, prior to 'its reaching the surface of the Water, retains the said Weight inaposition against a stop onl the mooring cable. The said cord or Ycable for the buoy-is attached to a spring controlled or other coupling devicev which is Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 265,827.

With the result that the vparts of the couplingy device become disengaged or separated, thus releasing the Weight which then Vdescends by gravity along the mooring cable until it reaches the anchor and actuates the device for stopping the unwinding of the `said cable. L

In order that the said invention may be 1)atented July 13, 19,20.

Original application led September 6, 1917, Serial No. 190,095. VDivided. and this application filedY clearly understood and.V readily carried into Y effect the same will now be described more fully With reference to the accompanying dravvings in which i .Figure illustrates diagrammatically various positions of the mine after being launched and finally coming to anchor with the iiotat'ion chamber at a'predetermined depth beneath the surface of the Water.

Figs. 2, 3 andV 4 illustrate diagrammatically on a larger scale howy the spring controlled coupling device is rendered active and the Weight-released during the ascent of the flotation chamber after the anchor reaches the sea bed.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on a larger scale showing the mine as a Whole.

F ig. 6 is a vertical section of the springV controlled couplingl device shown on a still larger scale.

Fig. 71s an enlarged view of the Weightreleasing mechanism forming part of Fig. 6.`

Fig-8 is a vertical sectionV of the buoy or float. which controls the spring controlled coupling device.

Fig. 9V is across section through the anchor showing the'ivinch-drum of the 'mooring mally Vheld against a stop J on the mooring cable D. K is the buoy or fioat which is connected to the coupling device by a cord or cable L the length of which is selected according to the final depth of immersion desired for the iotation chamber A. M is a pivoted lever on the anchor B which lever is actuated by the falling weight I when the latter is released by the coupling` device H.

The stop J is connected to the mooring cable D by a screw j, and fits over a tubular extension z' of the sliding weight I; the weight I being detachably secured to the said stop by radially movable detents j having chamfered inner ends which normally engage within a circumferential recess in the extension z', while their outer ends normally abut against the interior of a surrounding sleeve or cylinder 7L forming part of the aforesaid coupling device H. The said sleeve or cylinder 7L contains a spring 7L which normally tends to force the cylinder into disengaged position as hereinafter described. Pivotally connected at 7L? to the sleeve or cylinder 7L is a bell crank lever 72,3 to one arm of which the cord or cable L is attached, the other arm carrying a split pin 7a4 which passes through the cylinder 7L and by engaging within a slot 7l in the weight I serves normally to lock the weight rigidly in place, the arrangement being such that when the buoy cord or cable L is rendered taut, the split pin 71,4 will be withdrawn. Prior to the launching of the mine and during its descent, the buoy k, which is in the form of a pair of hollow cones joined at their bases, occupies an inverted position on the anchor as shown at 7) Fig. l and is adapted to fioat clear of the anchor by its buoyancy immediately the'mine is launched. Then the mine is launched and after the release of the float, the plummet C, in the example shown, continues to hold the lever G in engagement with the toothed rim e of the mooring cable drum against the influence of the spring g until it reaches the sea bed and its weight is removed from the lever G. The spring g thereupon disengages the lever G and releases the winch drum E Figs. 2, 3 and 4). Owing to its buoyancy the flotation chamber A separates .from the anchor and the mooring cable D is paid out. The buoy K, which has previously been released and which has separated from the flotation chamber by its buoyancy has in the meantime rendered the buoy cord or cable L taut, the tension thereon turningthe cranked lever 7b3 about its fulcrum and withdrawing the detachable pin 7a4 which locks the weight I to the coupling device H. The cylinder 7L, under the influence of the buoyancy of the float then moves relatively Yto the weight I thus further compressing and energizing the aforesaid spring 7L and during the separation of the flotation chamber and anchorand the ascent of the lioat and the flotation chamber to the surface, the lioat continues to exert tension on the cord L and maintain the spring 7L energized. lVhen however the buoy or float reaches the surface, the pull which it exerted on the cord L no longer prevails and the spring 71,. reacts and moves the cylinder 7L downwardly until it is clear of the said stop J. The aforesaid detents j are thereupon free to move radially outward, thus freeing the weight I and allowing it to fall by gravity until it is arrested by striking the lever M. The lever M is pivotally connected at m to the top plate of the anchor B and carries a part m which normally bears upon or lies immediately above a shoulder m2 on an arm m3 which is pivoted at m4 to the anchor and is normally held out of engagement with the toothed drum e of the mooring cable drum by a spring detent m6. lhen the weight I strikes the lever M the shock of impact forces the free end of the arm m3 into engagement with the toothed drum e ofthe mooring cable drum thus stopping the further paying out of the mooring cable and the flotation chamber'A remains anchored at the desired depth. The rate of the unwindiug of the mooring cable D may be controlled in any suitable manner, for example, by the usual hydraulic brake (not shown) so that the buoy will precede the flotation chamber in the ascent of these parts through the water.

Means may be provided for causing the buoy K to sink after it has fulfilled its function; such means may comprise, for example, a tube 7c closed at both ends and containing a quantity of mercury k', the closure at the outer end of the tube being constituted by a plug 762 composed of a substance which is soluble by mercury. The tube 7c is formed with perforations 7c3 at or about the center adapted to admit Water to the interior of the buoy through the said tube after the plug 722 at its outer end has been dissolved by the action of the mercury. The said perforations are protected by a concentric tube 7a4 of smaller diameter than the main tube 7c, and located therein, said. concentric tube being joined to the main tube toward the inner end thereof and left open at the outer end so that the mercury will flow over lthe surface of the inner tube and thus be prevented from escaping through the perforations when the tube is inverted and the mercury flows from one end of the outer tube to the other. Up to the moment of launching of the mine, or during the descent of the mine,.as before stated, the buoy is inverted, the mercury remaining atthe inner end of the tube and out of contact with the plug 7a2. When however, the buoy-is released from the anchor and assumes an upright position, the mercury'c comes into contact with the plug 7:2 as shown at'F ig. 8, upon which it acts and after a short interval eats through the plug, allowing Water to pass into the interior of the buoy through the perforations 7c3 so as to destroy its buoyancy and cause it to sink. As Waterl enters the buoy,=the air Within the buoy escapes therefrom Vthrough a passage provided With a nonreturn valve as 1s Indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 8.

I claim: v 1. A submarine mine provided with a Yfloat controlling the mechanism for anchoring the mine at a predetermined dista-nce beloW the surface of the sea, said float being provided With a passage for admitting sea Water to the interior thereof, soluble material normally closing the passage, a liquid Within the buoy which, when brought into contact with the soluble material, dissolves it to permit the entrance of Water into theV buoy through the passage thel relation of the parts being such that saidv liquid comes automatically into contact With said solubleV material after the mine has been launched. 2. A submarine mine provided with a float for controlling the operation of the mechanism for anchoring the mine at a prey parts controlled thereby being such that the float assumes in the Water a position which causesV said Vliquid to come in contact with the soluble material the relation of the parts being such that said liquid comes automatically into contact with said soluble material V after the mine has been launched.

3. A buoy or float having means for admitting Water when desired to the interior thereof, said lmeans comprising a tube or. chamber containing mercury and having an opening closed by a substance which is soluble in mercury, and the relation of the parts being such that the mercury comes automatically into contact. With said substance until after the mine has been launched.

4l. A submarine mine provided with a `float controlling the mechanism for anchoring vthe mine at apredetermined distance below the surface of the sea, said float being provided With a passage for admitting sea Water to the interior thereof, soluble material` normally closingrthe passagea liquid Within the buoy which, When brought into- Vcontact with the soluble material, dissolves it to permit the entrance of Water into the buoy through the passage, means for nor- Ymally maintaining the float in such a position that said liquid. is out of contact with' said soluble plug the relation of the parts being such thatafter the mine has been launched said liquid comes automatically into Contact with said soluble material.

In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature.

GIOVANNI EMANUELE ELIA. 

